Abel Protiva

Our Story

Posted May 14, 2018

Thank you for visiting the fundraising page for COTA in honor of Abel Falcon!

With the cost of a transplant often exceeding $500,000 out of pocket, many transplant families are unable to shoulder the financial burden of such a procedure. The Children’s Organ Transplant Association (COTA) is a national charity dedicated to organizing and guiding communities in raising funds for transplant-related expenses. In Omaha, volunteers are raising funds for COTA in honor of transplant patients like local infant, Abel Protiva.

Abel is the son of Wendy Wees and Jason Protiva. Born in 2017, Abel was diagnosed with Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome. The doctors at Children’s Hospital of Omaha in Omaha, Nebraska, performed a life-saving heart transplant on May 19, 2017. An estimated $400,000 is being raised by Omaha volunteers.

Comments

The COTA Staff

Posted May 15, 2018

We are so happy to be working with you!

Rick Lofgren, COTA President and CEO

Posted May 15, 2018

Greetings from COTA! I want to congratulate the COTA for Abel volunteer team for a great effort raising funds for the campaign in honor of Abel! When I set the campaign fundraising goals with all of our families, I try to do so knowing that some communities and volunteer teams have more developed resources and connections than others, and in fundraising these are critical to success. With this in mind, I usually suggest a goal to COTA patients that I believe is needed for any patient’s long-term expenses and transplant-related costs, and the goal generally reflects the next four to five years of out-of-pocket costs. For example, most of our patients will have $5,000 in annual co-payments, deductibles, and medications, as well as another $5,000 or more of additional costs for clinic visits. This could mean $30,000 - $50,000 for these costs alone for any patient in two or three years after transplant. In this case, because your team and supporters have done such a great job leading up to the volunteer meeting, and with Abel’s ongoing care following his transplant, I spoke with Wendy this week and suggested that we amend the goal to better reflect the long-term expenses. Because of this, I have raised the goal for the COTA for Abel campaign from $50,000 to $200,000 to reflect what I believe will be actual costs going forward for the next several years. Thank you for all the work and support you have provided to this point, and please keep the entire Protiva family in your prayers as Abel continues along his transplant journey!

Cynthia Hinde

Posted May 15, 2018

I'm so pleased to be a part of Abel's journey. Abel and his family are the most generous, full of life individuals I've ever met. They are well deserving of any and all help they receive. I'm grateful and honored to be by their side.

Rick Lofgren, COTA President and CEO

Posted May 15, 2018

Greetings from COTA! I want to congratulate the COTA for Abel volunteer team for an outstanding job raising funds for the campaign in honor of Abel! When I set the campaign fundraising goals with all of our families, I try to do so knowing that some communities and volunteer teams have more developed resources and connections than others, and in fundraising these are critical to success. With this in mind, I usually suggest a goal to COTA patients that I believe is needed for any patient’s long-term expenses and transplant-related costs, and the goal generally reflects the next four to five years of out-of-pocket costs. For example, most of our patients will have $5,000 in annual co-payments, deductibles, and medications, as well as $7,500 or more of additional costs for clinic visits. This could mean $25,000 - $30,000 for these costs alone for any patient in two years after transplant. In this case, because your team and supporters have done such a great job, and with Abel’s ongoing care as he recovers from his transplant, I spoke with Wendy and suggested that we raise the goal to better reflect what I believe is the true long-term expense that a patient will incur given age, insurance and other factors for someone going through his situation in the coming months and years. Because of this, I have raised the goal for the COTA for Abel campaign team from $200,000 to $400,000 to reflect what I believe will be actual costs going forward. Please know there are many factors in this and that I bear the responsibility of justifying this to anyone who asks, and am happy to do this as I believe that it is the right thing to do. I want to convey that this is not a request for everyone to go out and do more than previously planned, but simply a reflection of realistic long-term costs. Thank you for all the work and support you have provided to this point, and please keep Abel and his family in your prayers as he continues along his recovery and transplant journey!

Contributions to COTA are used to assist the organization to help children and young adults who need a life-saving transplant. COTA allocates funds raised in honor of patients to families who have a documented financial need related to the transplant.